It has been a tumultuous year in South African politics, but we end it in slightly better shape than we started it – with a dangerous president increasingly running out of road, writes Arthur Christopher.

Bogus doctors arrested

Seven bogus doctors from Nigeria have been arrested at hospitals and consulting rooms in five provinces, the Hawks said today.

The seven were arrested in Hawks’ raids in Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Eastern Cape and Western Cape, spokesperson McIntosh Polela said in a statement.

“One of the raids took place at Matlala hospital in Limpopo, where a qualified doctor was arrested. This doctor also owns three practices where he allegedly employs bogus doctors who make use of his name and practice number,” Polela said.

“Another qualified doctor was arrested in Pretoria. He also owns three practices in which he too employs bogus doctors using his name and practice number,” he said.

A man posing as a doctor was arrested at BJ Vorster Hospital in the Eastern Cape. He did not have qualifications.

“The Hawks are baffled as to how he managed to secure himself a job at a government hospital,” said Polela.

“We can only speculate how many people have entrusted their lives to these people believing that they were consulting doctors when in actual fact they are consulting quacks.”

The seven would face charges of corruption, fraud, indecent assault and impersonating doctors.

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